The Patriots' 2020 season did not come close to meeting the franchise's standards.
New England failed to reach the playoffs for just the second time since the 2002 campaign. This season also marked the Patriots' first with a sub-.500 record since 2000, Bill Belichick's first go-around at the helm in Foxboro.
For former Patriot Chris Long, New England's underwhelming season simply can be chalked up to the team's lack of high-end talent.
"They are no longer the Patriots. It is a new football team," Long told ESPN's Mike Reiss. "Yes, the bones are there. They have tremendous leadership, guys like Devin McCourty. They have a way of doing things. Bill Belichick is the GOAT. But you need players to win, and they don't have that right now, especially at the quarterback position and the wide receiver position, too, to be fair to Cam."
Heading into the season, some thought Newton could return to Pro Bowl form and help the Patriots seamlessly transition into the post-Tom Brady era. Instead, Newton largely struggled from wire to wire and is set to post career lows in nearly every noteworthy passing statistic.
Long seems to believe Newton's struggles are due in part to the veteran signal-caller not being at full strength after a decade of highly physical play.
"I'm looking at him now, I'm seeing what he's been through, I'm seeing the beating that he's been through, what he's subjected himself to this year and then throughout his career behind bad O-lines, running the football fearlessly (or) quarterback run to be a real part of what you do and scaring the (expletive) out of people; that dude is tough ... I really believe the attrition has caught up to him," Long said.
Sunday's season finale likely will mark Newton's final game with the Patriots. A report from ESPN's Adam Schefter hours before kickoff at Gillette Stadium indicated Newton isn't expected to re-sign with New England.
Newton's NFL days probably aren't nearing an end, but given how his first campaign in New England panned out, his options this offseason might be limited.
